Kevin Costner reveals he wasn't sure Yellowstone would be as big of a hit as it is due to the show's slow-burn pace and storytelling. The two-time Oscar winner stars in the neo-Western drama as John Dutton, the patriarch of the family who owns and operates the largest contiguous ranch in the United States in Montana. Yellowstone revolves around he and the rest of his family as they are challenged by a variety of forces who want to take the land from them, including land developers, politicians, national parks and the Broken Rock Indian Reservation located along the border.
Alongside Costner, the ensemble cast for Yellowstone includes Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, Brecken Merrill, Jefferson White, Gil Birmingham and Forrie J. Smith. Co-created by Oscar nominee Taylor Sheridan and Sons of Anarchy alum John Linson, the series initially debuted to mixed reviews from critics but has since grown in both ratings and reviews across its various seasons. With the Yellowstone franchise continuing to expand both in the mainline series and multiple spinoffs, one star is opening up about their initial doubts for the series.
In Variety's cover story for show creator Taylor Sheridan, Kevin Costner revealed his initial skepticism regarding Yellowstone's potential hit status. Though the star noted he knew the material was strong, the slow burn pacing of the neo-Western drama left him uncertain of whether it would be as big of a hit as it is. See what Costner said below:
“I don’t start something unless I think it has a chance to be great. I felt that the people that would see it would appreciate it. But when something gets this kind of extra kick — you can’t predict that.”
Though it may seem hard to look at Yellowstone now and believe it hard to think it couldn't be a hit, Costner's initial skepticism is understandable. Upon its premiere in Summer 2018, the series received mostly mixed reviews from critics who commended its beautiful direction and strong performances from the cast, but found it to be too melodramatic for its own good. Additionally, though its premiere set numerous records and season 1's episode 3 made it the second-most-watched TV show on an ad-supported cable network behind The Walking Dead, ratings did stumble for most of the rest of its debut outing.
Despite its rocky start, Yellowstone would ultimately become a smash hit for Paramount Network, effectively pausing ViacomCBS' rebranding for the cable channel as it doubled its ratings with each subsequent season. The mainline series isn't the only outing in the franchise to see such success as its spinoff 1883 saw the biggest cable premiere in six years while also becoming the most-watched Paramount+ title ahead of Sheridan's fellow title Mayor of Kingstown. While audiences await the two-part season 5 of the series, they can catch up with the first four seasons of Yellowstone available to stream on Peacock now.
Source: Variety